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Weird War Tales
|artists= |pencillers= |inkers= |letterers= |colorists= |TPB= |ISBN= }} Weird War Tales was a war comic book title with supernatural overtones published by DC Comics. It was published from September-October 1971 to June 1983. Publication history The original title ran for 12 years and 124 issues. It was an anthology series that told war stories with science fiction, horror, mystery and suspense elements. Changes in the Comics Code Authority made the use of horror elements possible. Each issue was hosted by Death, usually depicted as a skeleton dressed in a different military uniform each issue. The title's name was inspired by editor Joe Orlando. Walt Simonson's first professional published comic book work appeared in Weird War Tales #10 (January 1973). Roger McKenzie and Frank Miller's first collaboration was on a two-page story published in Weird War Tales #68 (October 1978).[http://www.comics.org/issue/32672/ Weird War Tales #68] at the Grand Comics Database Recurring characters began to appear late in the series run, notably the "G.I. Robot", and the return of "The War that Time Forgot" which originally ran in Star Spangled War Stories. Writer J. M. DeMatteis and penciler Pat Broderick created the Creature Commandos in Weird War Tales #93 (November 1980).Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 189 "A battalion of horror icons created by the U.S. government to aid the American war effort made its debut in an off-beat story by writer J. M. DeMatteis and penciler Pat Broderick." In Weird War Tales #101 (July 1981), the G.I. Robot is deployed to a Pacific island alongside the Marines to fight the Japanese military. Although the robot is technically named "J'ungle '''A'utomatic 'K'iller - 'E'xperimental Number 1" (J.A.K.E. 1), it is given the nickname of the G.I. Robot. J.A.K.E. 1 is destroyed in Weird War Tales #111 (May 1982) but is replaced by J.A.K.E. 2, which continues to fight on various Pacific islands, including Dinosaur Island. It later teams with the Creature Commandos. Other stories would often feature robot soldiers, ghosts, the undead, and other paranormal characters from different eras of time. Revival |artists= |pencillers= |inkers= |letterers= |colorists= |TPB= |ISBN= }} Weird War Tales was revived for DC Comics' Vertigo imprint in 1997. It was published as a four-issue limited series, followed by a single-issue special in 2000. Collected editions * ''Showcase Presents: Weird War Tales'' collects Weird War Tales #1-21, 576 pages, December 2012, ISBN 1-4012-3694-4 * ''The Steve Ditko Omnibus'' Volume 1 includes stories from Weird War Tales #46, 49, 95, 99, and 104-106, 480 pages, September 2011, ISBN 1-4012-3111-X * ''Creature Commandos''' collects ''Weird War Tales #93, 97, 100, 102, 105, 108-112, 114-119, 121, and 124, 288 pages, December 2013, ISBN 978-1401243821 See also *''Weird Western Tales, a sister title dealing in Weird West stories. References External links * * *[http://www.dcindexes.com/features/database.php?site=&pagetype=series&id=2315 Weird War Tales] and [http://www.dcindexes.com/features/database.php?site=&pagetype=series&id=2316 Weird War Tales vol. 2] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics Category:1971 comic debuts Category:1997 comic debuts Category:Comics anthologies Category:DC Comics titles Category:Fantasy comics Category:Horror comics Category:Science fiction comics Category:War comics